Our Generation and the Movies

Everything I do is influenced by the media – movies probably more than any other outlet. After seeing He’s Just Not that Into You I was inspired by the main character to have more self-confidence and stop relying so much on what others think of me. I was also inspired to buy Keane’s CD because “Somewhere Only We Know” is probably one of the best songs I have ever heard. I never would have realized how much I like the song were it not for the movie. It’s now the most played song on my iTunes.

Our generation has made it commonplace for a movie to already be a major success on opening day. We have started a trend of making big movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter and, more recently, Twilight attract large crowds who often spend the night outside the theater waiting for the first showing at midnight.

As I get older I worry that movies are taking a toll on the self-esteem of young girls in America. At 21 years old I still suffer from an inferiority complex every time I see a movie with Jessica Alba because every guy I know has made a comment about how “hot” she is. I recently got a haircut similar to Sandra Bullock’s in The Proposal and bought a jacket similar to one Mandy Moore wears in Because I Said So. My nine year old, brunette cousin Rebecca (pictured below) remarked after seeing the Hannah Montana movie that she wished she had blonde hair like Hannah.

Movies also have an influence on the way our society has become desensitized to indecent exposure and language. Sexual innuendo is a natural part of my generation. I find I have even become immune to the bad language and I no longer feel uncomfortable with sexual jokes and suggestive behavior in movies because it is found everywhere. It is sad that PG-13 movies make the most money because my generation feels they are too “mature” to go to PG or G rated movies. Hollywood has made us believe that things are only funny or entertaining if they include some sort of sexual joke or behavior.

I worry about the things that will be appropriate in movies for the next generation. The ratings standards have been lowered over and over and I wonder what my children will be viewing on a regular basis. Hopefully at some point the standards will no longer need to be lowered and the next generation can rise above and appreciate decency in movies and watch only those movies which affect them in positive ways.